A SCHOOLBOY carried out an armed robbery with a toy gun during his lunch hour before returning to lessons.

The 14-year-old changed out of his school uniform and entered the shop in Greater Manchester wearing a balaclava and brandishing a silver and black plastic handgun, while his pal waited outside.

He threatened the terrified shopkeeper with the fake gun and ordered him to hand over cash from the till.

When the man refused, the teenager punched him twice in the face and repeated his threat.

The shopkeeper, who suffered a swollen lip and a bloody nose in the attack, gave him £80 and the pair fled, later splitting the cash between them.

Rumours of the robbery spread through the school and the pair were arrested. Officers later found a black balaclava in the bedroom of one of the teenagers. The imitation gun was not recovered.

The boys, who are now both 15, and cannot be named for legal reasons, planned the raid together and noted that the store had no security cameras, Bolton Crown Court heard.

One youth pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. Defending, Miss Amanda Johnson said the boy had never been in trouble before and the incident happened ''out of the blue''.

Recorder Herman sentenced the youth to an 18-month detention order. The second youth was sentenced to a three-month action plan under the supervision of a probation officer after admitting handling £30 in stolen cash.